LIT211 Flashcards
According to (?) mythology is a story that is usually of unknown origin and at least partially traditional that ostensibly relates historical events usually of such description as to serve to explain some particular event, institution, or natural phenomenon
Webster
According to (?) Myths are certain products of the imagination of a people which take the form of stories.
H.J. Rose, A Handbook of Greek
Mythology
According to (?) A myth is a story about gods, other supernatural beings, or heroes of a long past time.
According to (?) A myth is a story about gods, other supernatural beings, or heroes of a long past time
According to (?) Myth is a cognitive structure analogous to language through which primitive people organize their experiences.
J. Peradotto, Classical Mythology
According to (?) Myth is the symbolic form which is generated, shaped, and transmitted by the creative imagination of pre- and extra- logical people as they respond to and encapsulate the wealth of experience.
R.J. Schork, “Classical Mythology,” The Classic Journal
a make-believe story about fairies, wizards, giants, or other characters who possess magical or unusual
powers
Fairy tale
it is traditions, customs, and stories of one culture or group of people
Folklore
it is a story about the past that is considered to be true but is usually a combination of both fact and fiction
Legend
it is a group of myths from a single group or culture
Mythology
it is more than what is natural or normal; showing godlike or magical powers; exhibiting superhuman strength
Supernatural
Give the 3 types of Myth
- Pure Myth or True Myth or Myth Proper
- Saga or Legend
- Folk-Tale or Fairy Tale
Myths of this kind tend to be examples of primitive science or religion. They explain natural phenomena or the origin of things, and they describe how individuals should behave toward the gods.
PURE MYTH OR TRUE MYTH OR MYTH PROPER
Myths of this variety tend to be examples of primitive history; they contain a germ or seed of historical fact
and enlarge upon it with great flourish. A good example of is the story of the war at Troy.
SAGA OR LEGEND
Myths of this species tend to be examples of primitive fiction. Tales of this sort are told for pleasure and
amusement. Frequently the stories contain supernatural characters such as ghosts, elves, dwarfs, or
demons, and they often include elements of magic, e.g., spells, potions, and objects.
FOLK-TALE OR FAIRY-TALE
Sources of Mythology and Folklore
- Aesop’s Fables
- A Thousand and One Nights
- The Great Epics of the World
- The Panchatantra
- The Poems of Hesiod : Theogony and Works and Days.
a collection of fables under the name of Aesop over 2,000 years ago in Greece.
Aesop’s Fables
a collection of stories and fables from Arabia, Egypt,
India, and Persia that were compiled from oral tales that had been passed down through these cultures for generations.
A Thousand and One Nights
Myths and legends are usually sourced from the existing epics of the different cultures of
the world. The Iliad and The Odyssey of the Greeks, The Aeneid of the Romans, The Mahabharata and Ramayana of India, Beouwolf of England, The Song of Roland of France, El Cid of Spain, Sha Namah of Persia, Gilgamesh of the
Babylonians, etc.
The Great Epics of the World
a collection of fables which was used to educate Indian princes into becoming wise kings.
The Panchatantra
is an early Greek poet who probably flourished around
700 B.C. Much of Greek mythology came from his two complete works.
The Poems of Hesiod : Theogony and Works and Days.
state the 9 great themes of myth
- Creation
- Gods and Goddesses
- Heroic Figures
4.Monster and Demons - Animals
- The underworld
- Journeys, Quests and Trials
- The Afterlife
- World’s Destroyed
Creation may be seen in myth as chance event or something that occurred despite opposing forces; likewise an end to the world in its present form may be inevitable or threatened, whether by divine will, as a result of attack by forces of evil, or in punishment for human misdeeds.
world’s destroyed
some form of existence after death, takes as many different forms in mythologies as the culture from which
they are drawn. Some speak of paradise where the pains of life on earth are left behind. After death comes judgment, a rigorous trial is conducted, and torture awaits those who fail the trial.
the afterlife
it can prove their strength into this, in numerous myths loyalty to the dead initiates journeys to the underworld to try to bring loved ones back to life.
journeys, quests and trials
Inevitably associations with burial prompt tales of gloom and terror of the unknown yet inevitable. A strong mythic duality : Earth swallows up the dead, but equally it produces food plants and harbors mineral wealth.
the underworld
They are featured as wild creatures – predatory beasts or the elusive prey of hunters; or as helpful beings tamed by
humans, or as possessing powers.
animals
it is most familiar as the beings that a heroic figure confronts and overcomes. They defy divine
order both in their appearance –typically but not invariably deformed or hideous – and in their actions, such as attacking or capturing a human or divine victim.
monsters and demons
it is semi-divine beings: in many mythologies they have superhuman powers through divine parentage; or they may have acquired divinity through their deeds as men or women on earth, with the help of a deity, by use of magic weapons, or acquisition of magic powers through ingenuity or trickery.
heroic figures
Universally, people believed in ideal beings leading them. Such deities possess human characteristics: they have parents and offspring, and they belong to some social grouping. An important role of mythology is to reinforce and justify relations of power and leadership
GODS AND GODDESSES
it set the stage for more particular myths supporting social structures, the relation of human beings to the natural world, and questions of life and death. A creator deity brings into being the sun, moon, and stars, seas and mountains, and so on, along with deities that personify them, then plant life, animals, and humans that populate the world.
creation
STATE 12 THE MYTHOLOGIES OF THE WORLD
- Mesopotamian Mythology.
- Canaanite Mythology.
- Egyptian Mythology.
- Greek Mythology.
5.Roman Mythology. - Celtic Mythology.
- Norse Mythology.
8.Mexican and South American Mythologies. - Persian Mythology.
- Indian Mythology.
- Chinese Mythology.
- Japanese Mythology.
native mythology centered on land, and the establishment of imperial dynasties was combined with Buddhist doctrine on death and the afterlife, ultimately from India and related to Persian traditions, for
e.g., Yama/Yima as first man and king/judge of the dead.
japanese mythology
mythology is rooted in its vast land, in veneration of its emperors, whose good rule brought prosperity and was a mark of heavenly approval, and in reverence for ancestors, the link between humans and gods.
chinese mythology
derived from the Aryans, also has Indra, a warrior sky god, insuring fertilizing rain and dispatching earlier inhabitants of the new homeland and demonizing them.
indian mythology
it reflected a life of warriors and of nomadic pastoralists beginning to turn to agriculture in fertile pockets amid harsh deserts and mountains. It supported a cult held in the open air, sometimes on mountaintops, with the deities personifying beneficent and destructive forces of nature.
Persian Mythology.
The mythology of the warlike Aztecs in MesoAmerica also justified bloodshed, though they adopted the practice of sacrifice for which they are so vilified from the Toltecs, the first of many older civilizations that they overcame.
Mexican and South American Mythologies.
it glorifies battle but against a harsher natural background: life derives from ice and fire and is ultimately consumed by them.
Norse Mythology.
mythology is preserved in Wales and Ireland which the Romans failed to subdue. The druids and bards preserved the tradition of the people led by a warrior elite with spectacular achievements in terms of conquest and
plunder but without the organizational skills to consolidate an empire.
Celtic Mythology.
It incorporated those of conquered peoples but was in many respects an adaptation of the Greeks. Juno, originally an Etruscan deity of the moon, protected the city of Rome.
Roman Mythology
The major deities were associated with aspects of nature such as Zeus (sky and thunder) or Poseidon (sea), and with abstract qualities, such as Athena (wisdom) or Apollo (arts, healing, prophecy).
Greek Mythology.
The dying and rising vegetation gods of both Mesopotamia and Canaan have their counterpart in the Egyptian mythology. Osiris, Isis, Horus, and are the deities.
Egyptian Mythology.
used in its biblical sense : Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine. The divinities included El (the creator), Baal (heavy rains).
Canaanite Mythology.
The Assyro-Babylonian tradition had its core of mythology of the Sumerians. The gods included Annu (sky), Enlil (storm), Enki (water), Ea (wisdom), Ishtar (fertility), Erishkigal
(underworld).
Mesopotamian Mythology.
goddess of love and beauty
Aphrodite = Greek
Venus = Roman
god of music, poetry, and the sun
Apollo = Greek & Roman
god of war
Ares = Greek
Mars = Roman
acknowledged as the leader of the new generation of gods. He is consistently identified as the sky-god.
Zeus
Zeus and his brothers determine the spheres of their authority: Zeus won the sky; Poseidon, the sea; and Hades, the underworld. The surface of the Earth and Mt. Olympus are neutral territories.
Division of Authority
is considered as the queen of the Olympians. Her name is originally a title which meant “Our Lady” or “Great lady”. She became greatly associated with the earth , chiefly with marriage and childbirth.
Hera
is primarily the god of the sea but he is also associated with earthquakes and horses. His Roman equivalent is
Neptune. Like the sea, is also unpredictable and easily aroused to anger. He is frequently pictured with a trident, a three-pronged spear which is used by fishermen.
Poseidon
each of whom took a vow of virginity in honor of the goddess they served.
The Vestal Virgins
is the goddess of the grain and the Earth’s fertility in general. Her Roman equivalent was Ceres. marriage to Zeus produced a daughter names Persephone (Roman: Proserpina).
Demeter
Marks the second generation of the gods of Olympus. Diana is the Roman equivalent. is the goddess of wild nature and of the animals who live there. She is often portrayed as the huntress with a bow and arrow, but she also carefully protects the animals in her domain.
Artemis
- Is a god said to be as complex and mysterious as Zeus. He is the god of reason and moderation, the giver of laws
and thus, the rewarder of right action and the punisher of the wrong. He is, along with his sister Artemis; A god of archery - He is also the god of poetry and music, and, in what perhaps his best known attribute, of prophecy.
Apollo
is a virgin goddess of domestic arts and crafts, of wisdom and of war. She is the patroness of Athens and the protector of the cities, in general. She is known to the Romans as Minerva.
Athena
He is the son of Zeus and Hera and is considered the god of war. He represents the uncontrollable frenzy of battle and all the destruction and horrors of war. Due to his uncontrollable rage, he is disliked by most Greeks and some say, even by
his father, Zeus.
Ares
She is the goddess of physical love and passionate desire. Her Roman equivalent is Venus. Some say that she is a
daughter of Zeus and Dione, a daughter of Oceanus.
Aphrodite
He is the master craftsman and metal worker of the gods. His forge is always a place of much activity as he designs and produces ingenious and artistic creations. His masterpieces includes the palaces of the gods, Zeus’ throne and sceptre, the chariot of Helios, the arrows of Apollo and Artemis, the sickle of Demeter and the weapons of Athena.
Hephaestus
is the youngest of the Gods, he had very primitive origins. He is the messenger of Zeus, the herald of the
gods, the guide for travellers, the leader of spirits of the underworld, giver of fertility and the patron of orators, writers, businessmen, thieves and athletes.
Hermes
is the god of the underworld. His name means, the “unseen one.” The Greeks hesitated a lot to mention his name so they often called him Pluto, which means “rich” or “wealthy” to refer to both the number of the spirits under his authority and to the fact that all crops grow from beneath the earth.
Hades
He is the god of wine and by extension, everything associated with it. Dionysus was from the beginning associated with the fertility of the grape vine and gradually this function expanded to include fertility in general (crop, animal, human). He is in this regard, the male counterpart of Demeter.
Dionysus
give the 4 ancient theories
- Rationalism
- Etymological Theory
- Allegorical theory
- Euhemerism
According to this theory, myths represent an early form of logical thinking: they all, have a logical base. For
example, the myth of Pegasus, the flying horse can best be explained by imagining the reaction of the first Greek
to see a horse. Compared to other animals they know, the horse must have seemed to fly as it gallops fast and
leap over high obstacles.
Rationalism
This theory states that all myths derive from and can be traced back to certain words in the language. Sources of
most mythological characters have their origins from the languages of the world. Hades, for example, originally
meant “unseen” but came eventually to be the name for the god of the dead.
Etymological Theory
In the allegorical explanation, all myths contain hidden meanings which the narrative deliberately conceals or
encodes. Example : story of King Midas and his golden touch Allegorists offered this simple reason why stories
were used in the first place rather than a simple statement of the ideas they represented: they interested people
who might not listen to emotionless concepts but who could be attracted by imaginative narratives.
Allegorical Theory
Euhemerus, a Greek who lived from 325-275 BC, maintained that all myths arise from historical events which
were merely exaggerated
Euhemerism
give the 8 modern theories
- naturalism
- ritualism
- diffusionism
- evolutionism
- freudianism
- jungian archetypes
- structuralism
- Historical-critical theory
In this hypothesis, all myths are thought to arise from an attempt to explain natural phenomena. People who
believe in this theory narrow the source of myths by tracing their origins from the worship of the sun or the moon.
naturalism
According to this theory, all myths are invented to accompany and explain religious ritual; they describe the
significant events which have resulted in a particular ceremony.
ritualism
The diffusionists maintain that all myths arose from a few major cultural centers and spread throughout the world.
diffusionism
Myth making occurs at a certain stage in the evolution of the human mind. Myths, are therefore, an essential part
of all developing societies and the similarities from one culture to the next can be explained by the relatively
limited number of experiences open to such communities when myths arise.
evolutionism
When Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern psychology, interpreted the dreams of his patients, he found great
similarities between them and the ancient myths. Freud believes that certain infantile are repressed, i.e. they are
eliminated from the conscious mind but continues to exist within the individual in some other form.
freudianism
Carl Jung was a prominent psychologist who, while he accepted Freud’s theory about the origin of myths , did not
believe that it went far in explaining the striking similarities between the motifs found in ancient stories and those of his patients.
Jungian archetypes
This theory is a fairly recent development and is closely allied with the research of linguists. According to this
theory, all human behaviour, the way we eat, dress, speak, is patterned into codes which have the characteristics
of language.
Structuralism
This theory maintains that there are a multitude of factors which influence the origin and development of myths
and that no single explanation will suffice.
Historical-critical theory
Stories of fire-breathing (?) vary throughout different cultures. In Chinese mythology, (?) are
of many different types. Most of them are known to be both generous and wise. Some represent good luck.
dragons
is a mystical animal that is found in the mythologies of many different cultures throughout the world. Representing beauty, goodness, and strength, this legendary creature appears in art, folklore, and
literature.
unicorn
According to Scandinavian folklore, they are hostile creatures who lived inside dark caves in the mountains.
They are keepers of buried treasures such as silver and gold, and are known for their pointed ears, long noses,
and large teeth.
troll
is a spirit from Arab and Muslim folklore that inhabits the earth and can assume human or animal form. it has many supernatural powers, such as the ability to cast spells on people and grant them wishes.
There are five tribes of jinn.
jinni
is one of the most hideous and ghastly monsters of Greek mythology. Slayed by Heracles, almost indestructible because two crude heads would spring up to replace each
head that a slayer would sever.
hydra
is a huge fire-breathing monster that has the head of a lion, the body of a dragon, and the hind legs of a goat.
chimera
are a group of monsters that lived in the mountains near the city of Arcadia in Greece. From the waist up, their bodies are human, and their lower bodies and legs are in the form of a horse.
centaur
is a large ferocious wolf with fierce yellow eyes and tremendous jaw. When it was just a pup, the
Norse god captured it and locked it in a cage because they feared the wolf might one day be responsible for the
destruction of the world.
Fenrir
are giant horned demons. They are said to have come to Japan from China with the arrival of Buddhism, and Buddhist priest perform annual rites to expel them. The oni can be a variety of colors and have three fingers, three toes and sometimes three eyes.
oni
are supernatural beings who take the form of serpents.
The king of the serpent deities Mucilinda shelteres the Buddha with the outspread hoods of his seven heads
during a downpour that lasted for seven days.
nagas
are spirits formed from the yin, or negative essence, of people’s souls. These spirits of emanations are always feared because they are said to take their revenge on those people who ill-treated them when they were alive.
Guei or Kuei.
is a race of monkey-like demons. They lived in ponds and rivers and lure human beings, as well as other creatures down into the depths of the water where they then feed on them.
kappa
Inert chaos was embodied in Apsu, the sweet water in which floated the earth and which fed its springs, and his consort, the salt sea waters, known as Mother Tiamat. From their union came monstrous serpents, then the male and female principles (the worlds of heaven and earth) and the great deities – the mighty sky god Anu, the god of controlled water Enki, and the resourceful god of wisdom Ea.
Assyro-Babylonian
At the beginning of time, all creation was enclosed in the mouth of a gigantic snake. Eventually, a gold mountain arose and became home to the supreme god of the upper region, while a jewel mountain arose and became home to the supreme god of the lower region. The two mountains collided together on numerous occasions, each time creating part of
the universe.
borneo
King Arthur’s magic ship sailed three times round the island of the dead. It was guarded by 6,000 warriors, who
slaughtered all but seven of Arthur’s men; nevertheless Arthur won the ever-replenished cauldron from which only the valiant and noble could eat.
Celtic Myth of the Holy Grail
the people who lived in
Scandinavia are called?
norsemen
is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic
peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and
continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period.
norse mythology
All-Father God and the Raven God
Odin
who is responsible for Thor’s hammer?
Loki
who married Ymir’s daughter?
Buri
enumerate the 3 sons of Bor and Bestla?
Odin, Vili, and Ve.
who killed ymir?
Odin with his brother
the nine worlds:
- asgard
- alfheim
- nidavellir
- midgard
- jotunheim
- vanaheim
- niflheim
- muspell
- hel
it is a giant cow that lived in a place called niflheim
audhumbla
who was the son of Odin and Frigg.
Balder
state The two Eddas
Prose Edda and Poetic Edda
state The two Eddas
Prose Edda and Poetic Edda
it is body of ancient Icelandic literature [contained in two 13th-century books]
Edda
- consists of a prologue and three parts (Younger Edda)
▪ Skáldskaparmál (“The Language of Poetry”
Prose Edda
- containing older materials (Elder Edda)
▪ Vǫluspá (“Sibyl’s Prophecy”)
Poetic Edda
[the wealthy dwarf; owner of Andavaranaut]
Andvari
(queen and sorceress/witch; wife of Guiki)
Grimhild
T or F
African myths are not recounted as a single narrative story, nor is there any established corpus of myth.
T
is home to many cultures and a thousand or more languages. Although no single set of myths and legends unites this diverse population, different cultural groups and regions share some common mythological elements.
africa
better known as the Nyami nyami is said to be the lone author of some of the Kariba area’s strangest of occurrences.
The Zambezi River God
is known as a goddess of wild animals, the hunt,
vegetation, chastity, and childbirth.
artemis
is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods
and humans.
Zeus
was the goddess of marriage and the family, and the
protectress of women in childbirth.
Hera
is a demigod and the son of Zeus.
Arcas
is a demigod and the son of Zeus.
Arcas
is the Supreme being who blew his breath bringing life to Obatala’s figures.
Oluron
is one of his heavenly entities called Orishas (Yoruba Culture)
Obatala
is the Great mother and creator. she sat behind an Iroko tree and found some clay which she used to mould humans into existence
Woyengi
The God of Chance, Accident and Unpredicatability
Eshu
is popularly known as the Goddess of Weather. She is also associated with funerals; the Guardian of the Graveyard; the goddess of cemeteries
oya
God of Thunder. He was thought to cause all storm and phenomena and appointed the lesser spirits to their dominions
Bobowissi
did a few heroic things like a wick ashanti king and recuing his mother after a birth from a sasanbosam
Kwaku Banone
is a mythical hero who, although human, had supernatural powers. he was killed on many occasions but was always reborn
Heitsi-Eibib
were tall, winged, hairy, red, powerful bush demons with a taste for human flesh
Sasanbosam
are often servants Sasanbosam, eagerly carrying out their monstrous bidding
Mmoatia
the spider, the most famous animal trickster. Tricksters are mischievous figures who often oppose the gods’ will, resulting in some misfortune for humans
Anansi
was a giant flesh eating hornbill
Animabri
a chameleon, the servant of oluron, is the head of yoruba pantheon of orishas
agemo
The creator, created earth, the heavens, and everything that lives and grows
ama
is the land of the dead, also known as the underworld.
Asamando
The supreme God and creator, began as an ancestral god and was elevated to Supreme God - a God of the Sky and the dead
Kalunga
created from woyengi, she challenged woyengi, the great mother and the creator to a contest of powers in hopes shed could bear a child on her own
Ogboinba
wanted to marry the daughter of kalunga, the lord of the underworld
Sudika-mbambi
was blinded by two so-called friends, bewitched by the force of evil, when they stole food from him
Gxam
is the Great mother and Creator. Hence, all the creations, the being she made, come back to her after life
Woyengi
she committed suicide but came back to living realm after staying in underworld.
Marwe in the Underworld
was frequently one of two messengers sent by the creator, olurun, to tell humans whether death would be temporary or permanent
agemo
in the beginning, the supreme god, bemba, created a set of twins who created havoc on earth
Bemba
an elderly woman, tired and covered with sores, arrived at a town in a valley
bakongo
resolved to destroy humanity because of its sinfulness. He would save only one righteous man and his family
En-Kai
- who is the disciple of sigmund freud
- collective consciousness (symbols, numbers actually mean something
Carl Jung
to understand the unknown
insatiable desire
what does in medias res mean?
‘in the middle of the scene’
half god/ half human
demigod
- timeless, fables, placeless
- involves moral - written for children
folktale
-considered as the mother of Philippine folk literature
Damiana Eugenio
passed down through oral tradition
folklore
the 3 folk literature
folk narratives
folk songs
folk speeches
goddess of the moon
Artemis = greek
Diana = roman
god of medicine
Asclepius = greek
Aesculapius = roman
god of the sky and agriculture
Cronus = greek
Saturn = roman
goddess of fertility and crops
Demeter = greek
Ceres = roman
god of wine, ecstasy
Dionysus = greek
Bacchus = roman
god of love
Eros = greek
Cupid = roman
Mother Earth
Gaea = greek
Terra = roman
god of the underworld
Hades = greek
Dis = roman
god of fire; craftsman for the gods
Hephaestus = greek
Vulcan = roman
god of the sea
Poseidon = greek
Neptune = roman
